On April 19, 2025, we were invited to the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, California to witness Pansy Division‘s 1000th show. This epic night was opened by Bev Rage and the Drinks. What an event!
Bev Rage and the Drinks, hailing from Chicago, Illinois, is a gay punk band that truly knows how to shred. They kicked off the evening with “Gay Panic,” energizing the crowd right from the start. Following that, they performed “Truth or Dare,” which had everyone rocking along. Next up was “Hollywood Beach,” a song so simple yet brilliant that it had the entire audience singing along.
They then introduced a track from their upcoming album titled “Phantoms,” which was incredibly catchy and addictive. The energy continued with “Confident” and “Bitter Ole Queen,” both of which got the crowd jamming. Then came “Limp Wrist,” a song that really powered up the audience and rocked their socks off.
After that, they played “Mouth,” a fun track from their first album, *Cockeyed*. They followed this with “Forbidden” before diving into a cover of The Offspring’s “Come Out and Play,” which was a fantastic rendition of the song.
The set continued with standout tracks “Permanent” and “Wet Nightmare,” both evening highlights. After that, they played “Attitude,” leading up to their final song, “Punisher,” a stellar track that capped off their set perfectly.
Follow Bev Rage and the Drinks band members on social media
Bev Rage – guitar/vocals
Sam Westerling – bass/vocals
Mary Rose Gonzalez – drums
Dan Jarvis – guitar/vocals
Setlist
1). Gay Panic
2). Truth or Dare
3). Hollywood Beach
4). Phantoms
5). Confident
6). Bitter Ole Queen
7). Limp Wrist
8). Mouth
9). Forbidden
10). Come Out and Play (Offspring cover)
11). Permanent
12). Wet Nightmare
13). Attitude
14). Punisher
When Pansy Division hit the stage, it was nothing short of spectacular. This performance marked the band’s 1,000th show, a remarkable milestone indeed. They kicked off this historic set with “FEM”, signaling the start of a 34-song marathon. Next up was “Bunnies”, and with these first two tracks, they had the crowd dancing and singing along.
Then came a song they hadn’t performed in 30 years: “Fuck Buddies”. They delivered an incredible rendition that the audience adored. It was clear they were serious about the long set they promised. After that, they played “DIK of Death”, a fun song that had everyone joining in. Following this was “Trouble”, which was a deeply personal piece for the band.
Then they ramped up the energy with “Kiss Me at Midnight”, a New Year’s anthem that hit the spot. The set continued with “Some of My Best Friends”, followed by “That’s So Gay” and “Denny”. Next was “Deep Water”, where the audience could truly feel the love radiating from the stage as they rocked it out.
For the song “Feb 17”, they welcomed a special guest: Patrick. He came on stage to a warm reception, marking the first time he and Joel performed together. The duo was fantastic, and they went on to play four songs from their Steve Albini-produced album, *That’s So Gay*: “Feb 17”, “Sweet Insecurities”, “Bad Boyfriend”, and “Revenge”. They sounded better than ever, with the three guitars working in perfect harmony.
After that impressive segment, they delivered a stripped-down version of “Kissed”, which was a pure delight to listen to. Next was “Twinkie Twinkie Little Star”, Joel’s first song, and the crowd instantly recognized it as a Pansy Division song. They then shared that audience members had come from all over the country, mentioning the states they hailed from before diving into “Curvature” from their album *Undressed*.
Following that were strong tracks like “Bible”, “James Bondage”, and “Boyfriend Wanted”. Then came “Obsessed”, a clever song about having your name written on a bathroom wall and the obsession behind it. After that, “It’s a Sin” took the stage—an impressive cover that would have made the Pet Shop Boys proud. They performed it with such sincerity that the crowd was thoroughly engaged.
Next was “Gonna Need Your Friends”, dedicated to the lead singer’s best friend, Sally Dana, who played drums on two tracks from the same album. The set continued with “Club” and “Pat Me on the Ass”, both sports-themed tracks that elicited laughter and applause from the crowd.
They proceeded with “Groovy” and “Slut” before taking a short, well-deserved break. When they returned to the stage, they opened with “Luv Luv Luv”, a fun song that had everyone singing along. This was followed by “Whipt” and “You Make Me Hot”, a cover sung by Patrick, who delivered an outstanding performance.
Despite being a holiday song, “Homo Xmas” was extremely popular and received thunderous applause. After that, they played “Reciprocate”, followed by “Summer”. The night concluded with “Who Treats U”, an excellent choice for a final song. It was well thought out, and they played it beautifully as they wrapped up the evening.
If you missed this show, you truly missed something special. Pansy Division rocked the stage for their 1,000th show, showcasing a selection of songs from all their albums. It was a must-see performance, and I am grateful to have been in attendance.
Follow Pansy Division band members on social media
Jon Ginoli – guitar/vocals
Chis Freeman – bass/vocals
Joel Reader – guitar/vocals
Luis Illades – drums
*Patrick Goodman – guitar (this show only)
Setlist
1). FEM
2). Bunnies
3). Fuck Buddy
4). DIK of Death
5). Trouble
6). Kiss Me at Midnight
7). Some of My Best Friends
8). That’s So Gay
9). Denny
10). Deep Water
11). February 17
12). Sweet Insecurities
13). Bad Boyfriend
14). Revenge
15). Kissed
16). Twinkie
17). Curvature
18). Bible
19). James Bondage
20). Boyfriend Wanted
21). Obsessed
22). It’s a Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover)
23). Gonna Need Your Friends
24). Club
25). Pat Me on the Ass
26). Groovy
27). Slut
Encore
28). Luv Luv Luv
29). Whipt
30). You Make Me Hot
31). Homo Xmas
32). Reciprocate
33). Summer
34). Who Treats U
Follow Bev Rage and the Drinks on social media
Follow Pansy Division on social media